Free Jaguars' Reward [Impulse 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Zara Chase Page A

grandmother for that. She’s the one that married the wolf shifter.”
    Vadim raised a brow. “Without knowing he was a shifter?”
    “Apparently.”
    “Then you’re right. He must have been a rogue,” Vadim said decisively. “No decent shifter would marry a human without her knowing what she was getting herself into first and going into it voluntarily.”
    “I’ve seen pictures of him and can understand why she was smitten. He was almost aggressively handsome.”
    “Is it possible to be aggressively handsome?” Zayd asked, smiling.
    “You two wouldn’t know, because you both wear your good looks like they’re no big deal. You’re probably not even aware that you move with a feline grace that draws the eye. It’s like you have no muscles in your bodies and you seem completely comfortable with who you are. The pictures I’ve seen of my grandfather, on the other hand, show a man who’s defying the world and doesn’t give a damn what people think about him because he’s better than everyone else.” She frowned. “Does that make any sense?”
    “We’ve known shifters with that attitude,” Zayd said. “Where did your grandmother meet him? Do you know?”
    “Fort Myers is where they lived.” Vadim and Zayd exchanged a glance. “You look worried. Why?”
    “Do you ever feel the urge to shift?” Vadim asked.
    “Don’t think so. How would I know?”
    “You’d know,” the guys said together.
    “Do you feel any animal instincts?” Zayd asked.
    She canted her head as she considered the question, a devilish glint in her eye. “Well, domestic cats always like me.”
    “Talia!”
    “Sorry, but this is all kind of weird. I figured we needed a moment of light relief there. And to answer your question, no, I’m not aware of any animal instincts.” Another grin escaped. “Put it this way, I’ve never felt the need for nights out on the prowl.”
    Vadim threw a cushion at her. “This is a serious business.”
    “Sorry,” she said with feigned contriteness, not feeling the slightest bit sorry to have made the oh-so-serious Vadim chill.
    “Tell us everything you know about your grandfather,” he said.
    “Well, in his human life he worked as a mechanic, but, according to my mother, he was a beta wolf shifter who wanted to be top wolf, like you guys are the top of the tree here in Impulse.”
    “Who are you calling a wolf?” Zayd asked, blowing her another of his kisses.
    “You know what I mean. Anyway, Grandfather decided the pack leaders were too stuck in their ways, too cautious, and he led a group of renegades who would show them a thing or two.”
    “And let me guess,” Vadim said, gritting his teeth. “Their target was Impulse.”
    Talia’s head shot up. “What makes you say that?”
    “Because it always is. And because your mother, presumably thanks to your grandmother’s influence, taught you to hate Impulse because it cost her her husband.”
    She sighed. “Yes, you’re right. The wolves, led by my grandfather, made a raid on Impulse. They managed to breach security but didn’t succeed in taking the place. A lot of lives were lost, including my grandfather’s.”
    Talia immediately knew she’d said something wrong. She stopped speaking and watched the guys lock gazes. They were quiet in a way that sucked the air out of the room, frightening her into speaking again.
    “What is it?” she asked. “What did I just say?”
    “Tell her,” Vadim said curtly. “I’m not sure I’ve got the stomach for it.”
    Zayd reached across to pat Vadim’s shoulder, cleared his throat, and spoke. “Vadim’s father was head of security here at the time,” he said.
    She frowned. “He can’t have been. This happened more than fifty years ago.”
    “Age in Impulse is a relative thing,” Zayd explained. “It’s also one of the reasons why shifters are so keen to get their thieving paws on the place. Due to the rare atmosphere, we only age one year to every human’s three.”
    “Oh,